278 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



Oct. 



were soon out recruiting for me, for I have 

 found nothing in the world like giving child- 

 ren, new converts, and everybodj' else, for that 

 matter, something to do, if you wish to keep 

 up their enthusiasm. Our barefooted Hercu- 

 les, was not so easily won. He declined sha- 

 king hands even the second time, in spite of 

 all I could say, but did consent to go to Sun- 

 day school, and brought all his comrades 

 with him. They were supplied with books, 

 and very soon we made the house ring, with 



" What a friend we have In Jesus." 



I then explained that Jesus was the friend 

 of everybody, high or low, rich or poor, and as 

 I rather expected, Hercules asked if he was 

 the friend of those who went barefooted and 

 wore checked shirts. I answered as well as I 

 could, and when school closed, he took my 

 hand cordially and promised to come to Sun- 

 day school every Sabbath, and to help it along 

 all he could. Can you imagine how much I 

 thanked God that he had answered my prayers 

 so far, and had permitted me to come off con- 

 queror ? 



The battle was not over however, for Satan 

 seldom gives up at one or two rebuffs ; he is 

 sharp and keen, and if you begin counting 

 your victory too soon, you will usually find 

 yourself unexpectedly outwitted. I looked in 

 vain for his face the next Sabbath, and the 

 next ; and as he staid away longer, I had a 

 sort of premonition that he would sooner or 

 later be heard from, in some way unexpect- 

 ly. In fact I was anxious to see him, for I 

 knew if ho came, all the rest of his class, would 

 be sure to come with him. I finally met him 

 one day on the street, and spoke to him pleas- 

 antly. Soon after, he came into the store, and 

 I noticed that he seemed particularly taken up 

 with a violin that was in the show case ; this 

 paved the way for an acquaintance, for he was 

 a very tolerable player, and I asked him again 

 to come and help with the Sabbath school 

 work. The next Sunday when school was 

 about half over, in he came, barefooted, and 

 dressed in a way that very plainly showed de- 

 fiance. He was accompanied by a half dozen 

 others, dressed much in the same way, and all 

 more or less under the effects of beer or some- 

 thing stronger. Even before they commenced 

 to talk aloud, I concluded I had better 

 give my attention to them, instead of the class 

 1 had in charge, and when an obscene remark 

 spoken aloud, struck my ear, my face burned 

 with indignation. Why should whiskey prompt 

 to everything that is low lived and despicable, 

 and why should it seem to strike death blows, 

 to everything pure and sacred? What could 

 induce these men, some of them doubtless 

 fathers of children, to become so utterly in- 

 different to the example they were setting 

 those little ones about them, who were there 

 in their clean clothes, and doing the very best 

 they knew how, to follow in the straight and 

 narrow path their teachers were laboring to 

 point out to them. As soon as I could conve- 

 niently, 1 started " Hold the Fort," and when 

 the singing ceased, I took good care to occupy 

 all the\ime by th« best counsel I could possi- 

 bly gather, on short notice. Whenever they 

 appeared in the least restless, I started some 

 hymn that they all knew, and thus kept things 

 tranquil until they seemed to have rather lost 



or forgotten their purpose of interrupting us. 

 I then asked if some of our visitors would not 

 like to favor us with some remarks in regard 

 to the progress of the school and bowing 

 pleasantly to their leader, asked him if he 

 would not say something to the children. At 

 this he appeared somewhat embarrassed, and 

 finally said he believed he had nothing partic- 

 ular to offer. 



"But you think our school is doing finely, 

 do you not?" 



" Yes, you are doing very well indeed." 



" And we can count on your assistance oc- 

 casionally, can we not?" 



" Yes, boys," turning to his companions, 

 "this school is all right, and we are going to 

 help it along." 



After he got out-doors, I was told that he 

 said he was coming again, but that he was 

 not coming in the same "fix" next time. 



He was on hand promptly the next Sabbath, 

 and with his feet comfortably clothed. After 

 arranging the classes, I took those in his cor- 

 ner, for a Bible class, and labored earnestly, 

 during the greater part of the allotted time, 

 to draw something from the lesson of Paul at 

 Corinth. It seemed all of no avail. All my 

 remarks seemed to call forth nothing but that 

 listless indifference, that most teachers have 

 felt so often. I related anecdotes, but all to 

 no effect, ior if they heard me, they were not 

 sufficiently at home, or did not care to smile. 

 I could not get liold of them. Finally I touched 

 upon the idea of Paul's working week days, 

 and preaching on the Sabbath, and then asked 

 them why a minister should have three or 

 four dollars a day for preaching only on the 

 Sabbath, and doing nothing during the week. 



" Now you boys work hard from sunrise un- 

 til sunset, do you not, on the farm ? " 



" You bet we do. And not only that, we 

 get up before sunrise, and work after sunset, 

 if you count milking and all such, work." 



This was the first full sentence, I had been 

 able to draw forth, and I felt somewhat en- 

 couraged. 



" Now a man who teaches school, has only 

 to teach about six hours a day ; why should 

 he have more pay than you do, or is it really 

 right he should have as much ? " 



All were now full of attention, and ready 

 with replies. When I had succeeded in get- 

 ting them to commit themselves fully, 1 ex- 

 plained to them as well as I could, the reason 

 why some people got great wages, for only a 

 few hour's work, and impressed them with the 

 idea that the way was open to every one of 

 them to do the same, if they were only willing 

 to set right about it, and to pay the price. 



" Boys, if you had a valuable watch that 

 needed repairs, you would take it to a good 

 workman, one who was honest, and skilful, if 

 you could find such a one, would you not?" 

 They assented. 



" Such a one, you would have to pay good 

 wages, but you would willingly do so, would 

 you not ? It would be much cheaper in the 

 end, than to have your watch injured by a dis- 

 honest man ; and besides, the last named, 

 would be very apt to make a larger bill, than 

 the former. Now suppose you had a boy, 

 whom you were anxious to have grow up in- 

 telligent, learned, and true. He would be 



